Footwear attachment



Dec. 21, 1954 B. MILLARD 2,697,287

FOOTWEAR ATTACHMENT Filed Dec. 18, 1950 IN V EN TOR. B NNE T MILLARD AGENT United States Patent FGOTWEAR ATTACHMENT Bennett Millard, Binghamton, N. Y., assignor to George E. Swain, Binghamton, N. Y.

Application December 18, 1950, Serial No. 201,297

1 Claim. (Cl. 36-7.7)

This invention relates generally to anti-skid devices and more particularly to an anti-skid device which may be readily secured to or detached from footwear of all types Anti-skid devices of this general type are known in the art and may be exemplified by my Patent 1,862,438 issued to F. L. Simonson on June 7, 1932, on which the present invention is an improvement. The device described in the above-identified patent and other somewhat similar devices of the prior art are characterized by certain inherent disadvantages in use.

Among these disadvantages are a difficulty in securely attaching the anti-skid devices to footwear; the imposition of an excessive strain upon the lacings (due to their dual functions of securing the device above the instep and around the heel) resulting in frequently broken lacings; and a poor'design and arrangement of the antiskid elements per se which causes the weight of the user to be borne by a single longitudinally extending chain element and results in a lateral rocking of each foot during walking and a blister line upon the foot.

Accordingly, the chief object of the present invention is to obviate the above described disadvantages of prior art devices.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an improved anti-skid device for footwear of all types which can readily be securely attached to footwear without imposing excessive strain on any portion of the device.

A further important object of the invention is to pro vide an anti-skid attachment for footwear in which the anti-skid elements are so designed and arranged as to give maximum traction in walking while distributing the users weight thereon so as to eliminate rocking of the foot and the creation of blisters thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved anti-skid attachment for footwear which may be of simple though rugged construction, economically manufactured, and attractive in appearance.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawing, I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention showing it securely attached and ready for use on a boot, shoe, etc.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of a boot or shoe to which the invention has been attached showing the arrangement of the anti-skid elements, and

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, numeral designates the anti-skid device as a whole and it will be understood that one is attached to each foot of a user to give a' maximum of traction on treacherous footing such as snow, ice, mud, etc.

The device 10 is comprised generally of a pair of identical, complementary vamp portions 12 each of which are connected at their lower edge portions with anti-skid elements which are adapted to engage the sole of the boot, or shoe B. The bottom and top edges of the vamps are each provided with a row of spaced apertures having eyelets which receive the lateral ends of the antiskid elements and a lacing 14 respectively.

The vamps 12 are cut from any flexible wear-resistant material of good tensile strength and their upper edges are tapered forwardly of the boot so as to conform snugly with and on the latter when the lacing 14 is drawn tight. The vamp lower edges follow the contour of the sole so that a substantially glove-like fit is obtained.

It will be readily apparent that displacement of the device 10 rearwardly when attached to the boot for use, is prevented by the taper of the sole. in order to prevent forward displacement of the device 10 with respect to the boot, the vamps 12 are extended rearwardly as at 16 to form relatively wide heel-engaging straps 18 and are provided with a buckle 20.

It will be noted that the vamp portions 16 are tapered upwardly to the rear to merge gradually into the wide strap portions 18 so that the restraining tension of the latter is transmitted equally throughout the vamps 12 ensuring a maximum life thereof and efiiciently preventing displacement of the device 10 forwardly of the boot.

'An important feature of the invention resides in the arrangement of the anti-skid elements. These comprise a plurality of spaced, transversely extending chain segments 22, the end links of each of which are secured to the lower edges of the vamps by means of the correspondingly spaced eyelets 13. These chains ensure traction longitudinally of the boot. Lateral traction is obtained and spreading of the chains 22 is prevented by a pluira2li6ty of longitudinally extending chain segments 24 an Referring to Figure 2, four transverse chains 22 have been shown. The outer pairs are connected by the longitudinally aligned chains 24 while the inner pair of chains 22 are connected by the transversely aligned chains 26. Thus the weight of the user of the anti-skid device 10 is distributed by being supported at four longitudinally and transversely spaced points to ensure easier walking to the user without danger of forming blisters on the foot from a high chain or single support. Greater traction is also provided by the described arrangement as well as an increase in the life of the chains.

The anti-skid device may readily be securely applied to footwear such as the boot B by placing the sole upon the chains in the position shown in Figure 2. The vamps 12 are now brought up over the boot vamp and laced tightly as in Figure 3. The straps 18 are now drawn tightly against the heel and secured by the buckle 20. The device 10 is as easily removed from the boot B by unbuckling the straps 18, loosening the lacing 14, and slipping the device forwardly over the toe of the boot. After the first use, the lacing 14 may be loosened as described but left in the eyelets so that for a subsequent attachment to the boot, the device 10 may be slipped over the toe, the lacing 10 tightened and the straps 18 buckled about the heel.

It will now be readily apparent that the anti-skid device comprising the present invention completely eliminates high spots under the sole of the boot while alfording greater traction, comfort and walking stability. Furthermore, the use of the wide straps merging into the vamps not only holds the anti-skid device securely on the boot but eliminates concentrated tearing strains on the material of the vamps to materially increase their useful life and enhance the appearance thereof.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

An anti-skid attachment for footwear comprising a pair of complementary vamps, a lacing adjustably con necting the upper edges of said vamps, and parallel antiskid members connecting the bottom edges of said vamps and cooperating with said vamps to form a forwardly tapered pocket, said vamps being rearwardly tapered to form integral strain-receiving disconnectable heel engaging straps to enable the attachment to be positioned over the toe taper of the footwear, said anti-skid members comprising a plurality of closely spaced transversely arranged chains connected by a plurality of transversely and longitudinally spaced longitudinally arranged chains, said longitudinal chains being arranged on their edges gitudinally spaced pomts of support for the footwear.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 Nu r'nbe r Name Date 1,194,19 Kirk'wood Aug. 8, 1916 1,995,989 Knis'eley Mar. 26, 1935 2,065,727 Norman Dec. 29, 1936 10 Number Number Name Date Block Mar. 9, 1943 Pulver Oct. 5, 1948 Young Jan. 16, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Switzerland Apr. 24, 1907 Great Britain Nov. 15, 1928 

